MODERN ISMAILI MUSLIM LITERATURE FROM CENTRAL ASIA

(1930 C.E. TO THE PRESENT)

One of the greatest contributions from Northern Areas of Pakistan is the voluminous work of Distinguished Professor Allamah Nasir al-Din “Nasir’ Hunzai (D. Litt, Rutherford University). He speaks nine languages: Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Shina, Burushaski, Chitrali, Punjabi and English. He has translated some difficult works from Persian to Urdu. He has written extensively in Urdu and Burushaski, and has fewer publications in Persian and Turkish. ‘Allamah Sahib’s literature has been translated into several languages. Dr. Faquir M. Hunza’i, Mrs. Rashida Noormohamed-Hunza’i, Ms. Zain Rahim Qasim, Mr. Khan Muhammad and Mr. Gulam Abbas have collectively translated 43 works into English. One of ‘Allamah Sahib’s major works, Qur’ani ‘Ilaj, have been translated into French by ‘Abdur Rahman Rener and a booklet, Sixty Questions, has been translated into Swedish by Svensk Oversattning and Amina Punja. Mr. Habib Rajan has translated 25 works into Gujrati.The full impact of his literature has not been felt because a large body of literature still has to be translated in accessible languages, especially English and is not widely distributed.

Qur’ânic Healing (Qur’ani Ilâj): The second edition of this book is a volume of 168 pages containing two radio interviews, preface, twenty-six articles, an appendix and a book review. ‘Allamah Sahib’s model of human well being includes soundness of body, soul and intellect. Therefore, in order to be fully protected, one has take care of the physical body but pay more attention to the internal (spiritual, ethical, ideological and intellectual) diseases because these internal diseases are subtle and dangerous. The first ten articles explain the principles of Qur’anic healing through piety, voice and Divine remembrance. The most intriguing chapter is ‘Man in the World – World in the Man’ in which ‘Allamah Sahib shows that each human is finite in the physical sphere but is potentially infinite in the spiritual and intellectual worlds because the whole universe in a subtle form is hidden in him. He defines spiritual science and its applications in articles 11 through 18. The last 7 articles describe methods to activate the universe within oneself.

Spiritual Healing (Ruhâni Ilâj): This book is a volume of 108 pages containing a preface and twenty-three articles on the topics of healing the soul. The first article shows that the Qur’an is a spirit and not just a written book. The second article shows that Divine remembrance leads to the satisfaction of heart and is a cure for all kinds on internal diseases such as false fear, inferiority complex, sadness, vanity, ignorance, pride, laziness and mental confusion. There are three articles on dreams. ‘Allamah Sahib shows that dreams are indicators of the state of soul and can be improved through Divine remembrance. There are two articles which list prayers from the Holy Quran and their impact on the development of soul. There are several articles dealing on Personal World and its development through the cycle of renewal, minor resurrection, and heavenly love. The role of Izra’il, the angel of death and resurrection, is described in the article ‘Izra’ili Wisdom’ and is a continuation of the article ‘Germs and power of ‘Izra’il’ from Qur’anic Healing. An article titled ‘Perfect Man’ describes the status of Prophets and chosen and special friends of God and their role in guiding humanity. This book also contains information on the world of subtle particles (soul) and the relationship between the ‘Lower I’ of human beings with the ‘Higher I’.

Healing Through Knowledge (Ilmi Ilâj): This book is a volume of 161 pages containing a preface and thirty-two articles on the topics of healing such as curing bad dreams, anger, insinuation and incubus. Different cures through hunger, rapid Divine remembrance, goodwill and supplication are described. Other articles describe the concept of death before death, Qur’anic wonders and marvels, and the path of Prophets and spiritual health. The last article describes luminous time and luminous prayer, and their impact on the development of the personal world.

The Miracle of the Straight Path

A renowned Qur’anic scholar in Pakistan, Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai offers an esoteric interpretation of

Ummu’l-Kitab as “Keys of Miracles: One of the meanings of ayat, is “miracle”. Thus to the people of insight every noble verse is a heavenly miracle full of the marvels and wonders of knowledge and wisdom, and Ummu’l Kitab, i.e. Suratu’l -Fatihah and the Revealed Light, is the treasure of the keys of miracles. In this treasure, the phrase “sirat-i mustaqim” is a principal fundamental and luminous key, because every kind of exoteric and esoteric guidance depends on it.

Bewilderment of the Particular Intellect: The Divine teaching in which : “Ihdina’s-sirata’l-mustaqim” (1:5) is mentioned causes bewilderment to the particular intellect. Because when a mu’min succeeds in praising Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and believes in His being the Beneficent, the Merciful and the Master and true King of the Day of Judgement and worships Him alone and seeks help from Him alone, then is this not the sirat-i mustaqim, i.e. guidance of God’s religion? What more is required?

Answer: One characteristic among many of Suratu’l-Fatihah is that all its words are from Allah to teach His servants and to favour them with knowledge and good deeds. The basic teaching of the Qur’an starts here and everybody knows that only the basic of a thing is not enough, and that more is necessary.

The Real meaning of “Ihdina (Guide us)”: This is the prayer not of those outside the religion of Islam, but of those fortunate ones who have entered Islam. Thus the real meaning of “Ihdina’s-sirata’l-mustaqim” is: “(O Lord) make us walk on the straight path!” Because in this verse the simile and parable of the true religion is given by a straight path on which every Muslim has to walk and the provision of every such travelling Muslim can be taqwa only, i.e. God fearing (2:197). The Prophets and Awliya’ have attained the special closeness of God by traversing the stages of this path in their life time (4:69). The purpose of the above mentioned prayer is obvious in that, the people of faith have to follow the path of the Prophets and Awliya’ to attain success.

Purpose of the Light of Guidance: Study the verse (57:28) carefully: Is it not the same light of guidance which is permanent and everlasting and the purpose of which is that both the community and individuals have to walk on the straight path and advance in its light? Indeed, Islam is that straight path in whose stages of sharia’t, tariqat, haqiqat and ma’rifat, every travelling mu’min can progress to its ultimate limit.”

~ Excerpt from “Rubies and Pearls” by Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai” (1994) pp. 118-119,
translated from Urdu into English by Faquir Muhammad Hunzai and Rashida Noormohamed-Hunzai.

Nasir Khusraw on al-Sirat al-mustaqim

On the Meaning of the Straight Path

“O brother! you asked: ‘What is the sirat (lit. path, way, bridge)? It is said that the sirat is stretched over hell, that it is thinner than a hair and sharper than a sword, and all people have to cross it. The fortunate ones cross it and reach paradise, whereas the unfortunate ones fall from it into hell. Explain so that we may know.’

Know, O brother, that (the word) sirat (in Persian rah) means a path or a way. The path is of two kinds: one is the external path that the people walk upon the surface of the earth, and the other is the path which people follow with their souls in goodness and badness. Had the path stretched over hell been the only one which people have to cross, God in his His book would not have mentioned it in the Surat al-hamd and commanded us to remember Him so that He would show us the path, as He says in the verse: ‘Guide us to the straight path (al-sirat al-mustaqim)’. (1:5) Since He has commanded us to seek the straight path, it is a proof that on the path which is not straight but crooked is found that which is other than God. If God had made only one path on which we had to walk and traverse, he would not have commanded us to say this prayer. (The straight path is the way of those upon whom God has bestowed His favours, and they are the prophets, the truthful, the witnesses, and the righteous.) As He says: (‘All who obey God and the Messenger are in the company of those) upon whom God has bestowed (His) favours: the prophets (nabiyyin), the truthful (siddiqin), the witnesses (shuhada), and the righteous (salahin). (4:69)

Thus it is established that the sirat is not (a path for the body) but the path for the soul which it should traverse, because God obliged (this path) first for the prophets, then their legatees (wasis) and the true Imams, and then their (proofs <hujjats>), as mentioned. These are the ones whom God has obliged: the prophets who are the Messengers, and they are so called because they convey the news of that world to the people; ‘the truthful’ by which He means the legatees who (expounded) the ta’wil of the shari’at and the book to the people, and by doing so disclosed the reality of the parables which they contained and proved to the wise that the Messengers are truthful; by the ‘witnesses’ are meant the true Imams as they are witnesses of God among the people; and by ‘the righteous’ are meant their (proofs) because the betterment of the souls of people is due to them.

When we come to know that the sirat is the path of the soul and not a path for the body, and with regard to what has been said that it stretches over hell, that is thinner than an hair and sharper than a sword, that people have to traverse it in order to reach paradise, and if they fall from it they reach the eternal fire – all this is correct, but it is necessary to know the esoteric meaning (ta’wil), not (merely) the exoteric description. Thus, we say that the sirat has the status of man (who is positioned) between animality and angelicity, and is required to walk on it straight because unless he traverses it he will be unable to reach paradise. Paradise is the higher (spiritual) world and hell is the fire which surrounds this lower (material) world. The ta’wil of this statement is that paradise means our liberation from the world of animality, and hell means to remain in that (animal) nature. If man practices the shari’at without understanding its ta’wil, then he makes himself into an animal, he inclines towards the left hand and falls into hell from the sirat. If he acquires (esoteric) knowledge, but does not practise the shari’at while claiming angelicity, he inclines towards the right hand and falls into hell from the sirat. However, when man walks on the path of humanity, in which he has a share from both animality and angelicity – that is, he does the work which is the share of his body and acquires knowledge which is the share of his soul – he walks on the straight path (sirat-i mustaqim); then when he traverses the sirat he is said to have reached paradise. This is so because having walked on the straight path using both knowledge and practice, when his soul leaves the body which is his sirat, he reaches the higher world, the place of angels and the true paradise.”

~ From “Knowledge and Liberation – A Treatise on Philosophical Theology” – translated by Faquir Hunzai

The Symbols and Secrets of Ummu’l-Kitab

Dr. Allamah Nasir al-Din Nasir Hunzai is a highly acclaimed writer on Islam. He was born in 1917 in Hyderabad, a small village of Hunza. Beginning in early childhood he was inclined towards the esoteric meanings of faith. He was deeply inspired by the preachings and teachings of Pir Nasir Khusraw. He leads the austere life of a “sufi saint”.

Allamah Sahib has interpreted the Qur’anic verses from a new perspective. His emphasis is on the inner meaning and wisdom of the Qur’an. He is the author of more than a hundred books on spirituality. He was the first writer to coin the terms ‘spiritual science’, ‘monoreality’ and ‘thousand wisdoms’.

Allamah Nasir is also a Sufi poet of many languages. His books have been translated into English, French, Swedish, Persian, Turkish, and Gujarati.

The president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan conferred upon Prof. Dr. Nasir al-Din Hunzai the award of Sitarah-i-Imtiyaz on 23 March, 2001 in recognition of his outstanding service in the fields of literature and scholarship. He was awarded an honorary PhD degree by Senior University in Canada where Allama Sahib has been associated for a long time as a visiting professor. He has been a pioneer in developing the first Burshaski German dictionary in association with Heidelberg University, Germany.

The following is an excerpt from his in-depth examination of al-Fatiha:

The Symbols and Secrets of Ummu’l-Kitab

“One of the names of the surah of Fatihah is Ummu’l-Kitab, which means the origin of the Book. This means that all the wisdoms of the wise Qur’an and the book of the universe are condensed in it. Or, in other words, the entire Qur’an is the Divine exegesis of the surah of Fatihah. Both these statements are correct, as God says: Wa-innahu fi ummi’l-kitabi ladayna la-aliyyun hakim (And it ‘the holy Qur’an’ is in the Ummu’l Kitab (surah of Fatihah) and that the Ummu’l Kitab (in luminous existence) is with Us, which is the wise Ali” (43:4). Thus it is an accepted fact for the wise people that, if the Qur’an on the one hand is condensed in the surah of Fatihah, on the other it is with the light of Mawlana Ali. For according to a Prophetic Tradition, the Fatihah is the external Ummu’l Kitab, whereas the light of Mawlana Ali is the internal Ummu’l Kitab.

The Fatihah being the origin of the Book means that it is the gist of the entire Qur’an. That is, what is elaborated in the Qur’an is condensed in it. In other words, the Fatihah is the condensed Book, whereas the Qur’an is the elaborated Book. Thus, the Fatihah is a comprehensive and all-embracing example of Divine guidance and the entire Qur’an is a compendium of the subsidiary examples of this guidance. Further, in a wisdom-filled way, the Fatihah is a list of necessary realities by carefully examining which every fortunate wise person can understand what God wills to teach His servants in His cherished Book. This means that one of the beauties of the Fatihah is that it is a complete list of Qur’anic subjects as shown in the following:

1. Marifat (Divine Recognition)
2. Al-Hamd (praise and extollation of God)
3. Uluhiyyat (Divinity)
4. Rububiyyat (Divine Providence)
5. Alamin (worlds)
6. Physical mercy
7. Spiritual mercy
8. Kingdom of God
9. Time
10. Religion and Resurrection
11. Ikhlas (sincerity)
12. Ibadat (worship)
13. Isti’anat (seeking help)
14. What should we pray for first?
15. Hidayat (guidance)
16. Sirat-i mustaqim (straight path)
17. Different paths
18. God’s greatest favour
19 The people who God has favoured
20. What is Divine ghadab (anger)?
21. Deviation

In addition to these, there are other subjects, which are alluded to in the Fatihah. For instance, why does the dot come before alif, i.e. why did the Qur’an begin with the dot of Bismi’llah, whereas al-hamd begins with alif? Why is the first word of the wise Qur’an “bism“? What is the wisdom hidden in the composition of the Qur’anic letters ba’ and sin, making “bis“? What do the nineteen letters of the “Bismillah” allude to? What do the seven verses of the Fatihah signify? What is the allusion of the quinqueliteral (five lettered) word al-Hamd = alif, lam, ha, mim, and dal in the beginning of Fatihah? However, as these realities are hidden in the depths of wisdom, there is no immediate necessity for ordinary people to search for or enquire about them, nor can this short book contain more elaboration than what has been said. Therefore, God willing, we will confine ourselves to explaining the above-mentioned subjects to a certain extent only.”

Commentary on Ikhlas (Purity) in al-Fatiha

Allama Nasir Hunzai’s commentary inspired a response from Maheroon Pradhan, who is of Scottish-Hispanic background. She embraced the faith in 1975 and says she experiences “peace” in the recitation of al-Fatiha.

Ikhlas (Purity, Sincerity):

In the fourth verse of the Fatihah, first is mentioned ikhlas or sincerity, that is, to purify one’s belief regarding the unity of God from all things other than Him. Ikhlas literally means to purify something from adulteration and mixture. Therefore, everything which can possibly be adulterated and alloyed, but is found pure in a true sense is called khalis (pure), such as gold, silver, etc. Nonetheless, in religious terms ikhlas means that state of the heart in which its attention is towards God alone and in this state, there is not the slightest mixture of the other imaginations and thoughts. Regarding this state of the heart, an example from the wise Qur’an is presented here, which is: “And when they mount upon the ships they pray to Allah, making their faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safe to land, behold they ascribe partners (unto Him)” (29:65). The purport or meaning of this verse depends purely on wisdom. That is, most of the believers in God do not apparently start to pray to Him purifying their faith for Him when they embark on a ship, nor do they unusually ascribe partners to Him instantly upon coming ashore. However, it is true that due to the fear in their hearts when embarking on a ship they become attentive to God, in such a way that no worldly thing can divert their attention from Him, but after landing, this state of the heart, which according to God is called ikhlas or ‘pure faith’, vanishes and worldly imaginations and thoughts start to enter their hearts. This state of the heart, according to God, is called shirk or ‘ascribing partners to God’. Thus, ikhlas is the name of that state of heart in which attention is directed towards God alone, just as the people of a ship in a dangerous sea are attentive to God alone.

Memory of Beach Excursions with Abuelo

Upon setting foot on sand, abuelo (grandfather) would head for one of the piers with four-year-old grandson in tow. From the safety of the shore, I anxiously watched and prayed as Jaime screamed, his skinny arms releasing the strangle hold of abuelo’s neck when he reached the safety of the pier. During my turn at crossing the ocean between piers, abuelo got tangled in ropes (which cordoned off the beach) and we both went under. Years later, Jaime and I sailed alongside the beach watching distant bathers and recalled abuelo’s insistence we confidently engage the mysterious depths of the ocean. In that perfect moment as if on cue, the sky turned gray and a quick moving tropical storm overtook us. Jaime gave me instructions on how to position the sails; but after struggling for a while and sickened by the incessant rocking of the boat, I dove for the safety of the cabin. In prayer, I found relief for the familiar fear. Focused sincerity, gets us past agonizing moments in which self must surrender to the most merciful, generous One. Graced with access, we find the assistance we seek and as self struggles to understand the experience, the most hazardous leg of the journey begins.

In the midst of the tempest, gripped by confusion
SOS sent, self surrenders the ship’s wheel
To a loving, peaceful response and the feared
Boogey man disappears upon the first rays of dawn.
Navigating unpredictable waters, the Captain sails
Past treacherous, rocky shores of duality anchored
In the fathomless single Reality of being.

~ Maheroon Pradhan, Stafford, VA

On the Meaning of the Straight Path

Nasir Khusraw was a leading Shia Ismaili poet and theologian-philosopher of the eleventh century (1004 to circa 1088 CE). In an English translation of his Gushayish wa Rahayish by Faquir Hunzai, Khusraw explains his understanding of the Siratal Mustaqim:

On the Meaning of the Straight Path

(168) O brother! You asked: ‘What is the sirat (lit. path, way, bridge)? It is said that the sirat is stretched over hell, that it is thinner than an hair and sharper than a sword, and all people have to cross it. The fortunate ones cross it and reach paradise, whereas the unfortunate ones fall from it into hell. Explain, so that we may know.’

(169) Know, O brother, that (the word) sirat (in Persian, rah) means a path or a way. The path is of two kinds: one is the external path that the people walk upon the surface of the earth, and the other is the path which people follow with their souls in goodness and badness. Had the path stretched over hell been the only one which people have to cross, God in His book would not have mentioned it in the Surat al-hamd and commanded us to remember Him so that He would show us the path, as He says in the verse: ‘Guide us to the straight path (al-sirat al-mustaqim)’. (1:5) Since He has commanded us to seek the straight path, it is a proof that on the path which is not straight but crooked is found that which is other than God. If God had made only one path on which we had to walk and traverse, He would not have commanded us to say this prayer. (The straight path is the way of those upon whom God has bestowed His favours, and they are the prophets,the truthful, the witnesses, and the righteous.) As He says: (‘All who obey God and the Messenger are in the company of those) upon whom God has bestowed (His) favours: the prophets (nabiyyin) the truthful (siddiqin), the witnesses (shuhada), and the righteous (salihin). (4:69)

(170) Thus, it is established that the sirat is not (a path for the body) but the path of the soul which it should traverse, because God obliged (this path) first for the prophets, then their legatees (wasis) and the true Imams, and then their (proofs (hujjats)), as mentioned. These are the ones whom God has obliged: the prophets who are the Messengers, and they are so called because they convey the news of that world to the people; ‘the truthful’ by which He means the legatees who (expounded) the ta’wil of the shari’at and the book to the people, and by so doing disclosed the reality of the parables which they contained and provided to the wise that the Messengers are truthful; by ‘the witnesses’ are meant the true Imams as they are witnesses of God among the people; and by ‘the righteous’ are meant their (proofs) because of the betterment of the souls of people is due to them.

(171) When we come to know that the sirat is the path of the soul and not a path for the body, and with regard to what has been said that it stretches over hell, that it is thinner than an hair and sharper than a sword, that people have to traverse it in order to reach paradise, and if they fall from it they reach the eternal fire – all this is correct, but it is necessary to know its esoteric meaning (ta’wil), not (merely) the exoteric description. Thus we say that the sirat has the status of man (who is positioned) between animality and angelicity, and is required to walk on it straight because unless he traverses it he will be unable to reach paradise. Paradise is the higher (spiritual) world and hell is the fire which surrounds this lower (material) world. The ta’wil of this statement is that paradise means our liberation from the world of animality, and hell means to remain in that (animal) nature. If man practices the shari’at without understanding its ta’wil, then he makes himself into an animal, he inclines towards the left hand and falls into hell from the sirat. If he acquires (esoteric) knowledge, but does not practice the shari’at while claiming angelicity, he inclines towards the right hand and falls into hell from the sirat. However, when man walks on the path of humanity, in which he has a share from both animality and angelicity – that is, he does the work which is the share of his body and acquires knowledge which is the share of his soul – he walks on the straight path (sirat-i mustaqim); then when he traverses the sirat he is said to have reached paradise. This is so because having walked on the straight path using both knowledge and practice, when his soul leaves the body which is his sirat, he reaches the higher world, the place of angels and the true paradise.” (1998, pp. 104-106).

~ Excerpted from “Knowledge and Liberation – A Treatise on Philosophical Theology” by Nasir Khusraw, edited and translated by Faquir M Hunzai.

Is Free Will implied in Al-Fatiha?

I have been pondering the relationship between free will (ikhtiyar) and al-Fatiha and whether our seven sacred verses imply the notion of free will in its hidden aspects? Nasir Khusraw in his “Knowledge and Liberation – A treatise on Philosophical Theology” attempted to deal with the issue of Free Will and Responsibility in his 11th century text: Ghusayish wa rahayish

(186) O brother! You asked whether man is determined or free in what he does: `If he is determined, then whatever he does is being done by God – in which case why does punishment become necessary? If he is free, then can he do something which God does not like, thus necessitating that he prevails over God?’

(187) Know, O brother, that this inquiry was addressed to [the Imam] Ja`far al-Sadiq. He replied: `God is more just than to determine someone to disobey him and then punish him for it.’ Then they asked him if man can do what he wishes. He said: “God’s power is greater than one’s transgressions in His Kingdom.’ Then they asked him what the position of man is [in this world]. He said: `It is between two positions in which he is neither determined nor free.

(188) “The sayings of the Imams have ta’wil just as the Speech of God and [the sayings of His] Messenger have ta’wil, because they are the witnesses of God over the people. Thus, it must be known that the [inner] meaning of this saying [of the Imam Ja`far al-Sadiq) is that the position of mankind is between that of an animal and an angel, because in man there is the carnal soul as well as the rational soul; the former belongs to the animal and the latter to the angel. In the case of an actual angel, it cannot willfully disobey, [and in the case of an animal] it cannot [willfully] obey, because both of them are determined [by God] in their dispositions. Consequently, the angel is not rewarded for obedience and the animal is not punished for disobedience, whereas man, whose status is [intermediate] between these two positions, is [both] rewarded for obedience and punished for disobedience.

(189) God has given mankind the perceptive intellect which can distinguish the ugly from the fair, and He has also endowed it with [a sense of] modesty and shame (sharm) which does not allow humans to act as animals do. It must be known that man is not free as animals are because his nature is endowed with modesty and shame. Then God sent His Messenger to the people with [guidance and ] the promise to reward them for their obedience and to punish them for their disobedience. Now, since man’s position is between animality and angelicity, [we say that] with respect to his rational soul, man is determined because it urges him to do only the good and to obey [God], and the wise person cannot do other than this; however, with respect to his carnal soul, man is free because it is not constrained by [obedience and] disobedience, [good and] evil, [right and wrong], or reward [and punishment]. Peace. ”

~ Excerpted from Faquir Hunzai’s translation of “Knowledge and Liberation,” (1998) pp. 113-114

The question about free will is motivated by the hermeneutic of Sura 1:5. Does al-Fatiha imply that the prayer for guidance is “to the straight path” which would imply the capacity of free will for each lover of the Divine to follow a straight path or a path of direct experience. Or does the prayer seek guidance “on the straight path” which could imply an absence of free will or that at the very least the personal wills of those who seek guidance are surrendered to the Divine Will (Qadr). If this is the case, then how does humankind accept responsibility for its actions?

There is “hidden” in these verses a very powerful question which, if answered fully and completely, could define the underlying notions for an Integral Psychology of Islam. Tied to this question is the question of what it is that might earn the Displeasure of Allah for those on a less “straight” or “direct” path. It must surely require a faculty of discernment to act to glorify Allah on the “path upon whom Thou hast bestowed favors” than to earn His Displeasure. But even in the qualification of the path, the favor of Allah may also include the requisite faculty of discernment. There appears to be no autonomous claim to free will within that context. Does this sense of powerlessness and submission cause compensatory behaviors that are both rebellious and can also cause harm to self and others? What then is the organizing principle of the human being if the personal will of the human being is so fragile?